Writing in Progress

Justin & Jon are back! And even better... on summer vacation! Our goal is to bring you a new episode once a week over break, & we're starting off strong. We've done episodes about generating stories: live outlines, various competitions, even "how-to" episodes for elements of a story... but we haven't talked much about what comes after you've finished. In a recent survey on our Patreon, our WiPpersnappers indicated that their most wanted episode was one detailing the details of submitting stories to presses. Ask & ye shall receive.We teachers assigned each other homework: submit 5 stories for publication this week. As is representative of our current status as functioning human beings: Jon completed 11 submissions and Justin managed 3.Some of this episode might seem rudimentary to many of the oft-published veterans in our audience, but to anyone still a novice in that area, this may prove to be one of our most valuable episodes! Important links are below, so read on... but first, our sponsor!We are grateful to Tadpole Press for sponsoring this week's episode of Writing in Progress. They specifically wanted to share with our audience that submissions are open for their 100 word writing contest, ending November 30th. Entries must be 100 words or less (including title!), can be previously published, you're allowed multiple entries (but must pay the $15 fee each time), first prize wins $1,000 USD, open to all writers. You can submit (and find further guidelines) here!Important links mentioned:The submission grinder can be found here.

Better late than never, right?A combination of some tricky editing and the craziest time of year put me about two weeks behind in getting this episode out.But we still made it happen before the Spring Battle started... if only just. ;)We hope to resume a more normal recording schedule again soon. Justin and Jon have about a month left of classes, and Justin's coaching responsibilities will lessen around that time as well.Big thank you, once again, to our episode sponsor Ryan Fleming. You can find him on Instagram at ryan.david.fleming. If you have access to the Writing Battle Heart competition debrief, check out his story that made it all the way to the Elite Eight: The Cut of a Bowstring.And if you'd like to join our Patreon community, we'll drop a quick link right here.Reminder: We're doing a giveaway this month, so now is a great time to join! We'll be giving away a guests' book of their choice to the lucky winners. Yes, that's plural. Since I took a little longer posting this episode, let's double the prizes for this giveaway. We'll pick two WiPpersnappers to take home a new book. :)

With the Writing Battle Wonder competition rapidly approaching, what better way to prepare than to get a peak behind the curtain with one of the competition's professional judges? Long time friend of the pod, Trey Dowell, returns to field dozens of questions about his experience judging hundreds of stories during the Writing Battle Heart competition. We asked a lot of questions provided from the community--I know I learned a lot!Big thank you, once again, to our episode sponsor Ryan Fleming. You can find him on Instagram at ryan.david.fleming. If you have access to the Writing Battle Heart competition debrief, check out his story that made it all the way to the Elite Eight: The Cut of a Bowstring.And if you'd like to join our Patreon community, we'll drop a quick link right here.Reminder: We're doing a giveaway this month, so now is a great time to join! We'll be giving away a guests' book of their choice to the lucky winners. Yes, that's plural. Since I took a little longer posting this episode, let's double the prizes for this giveaway. We'll pick two WiPpersnappers to take home a new book. :)

Right back at it!There ain't no rest for the wicked, as they say. The Heart battle may still be raging, but the peer-judged Winter Flash Fiction Writing Battle is already underway. Justin and Jon are joined by friends of the pod MM and Charlie to give reactions to the new set of genres, and reveal (what we can) as we roll through our character and object cards. As expected, many buttons were pressed.Quick note to any judges of Heart or Not Quite Write who may be listening (namely Trey and Amanda) maybe snooze this episode until your judging responsibilities are over, as we do discuss our submissions to those competitions in some detail. (Or, at the very least, have the fast forward button at the ready)I was able to follow up with episode sponsor Ryan Fleming, and he did intend to stay on as a sponsor once again. We are so grateful for Ryan's support. If you're able, please give him a follow at ryan.david.fleming on instagram. You'll be glad you connected with him!And if you'd like to join our Patreon community, we'll drop a quick link right here.

Justin and Jon are trying a new competition! We were invited by Australia's Amanda and Ed to take part in their Not Quite Write Prize! As luck would have it, a former winner of the competition had previously reached out expressing interest in joining the pod as a guest. So we're excited to welcome Autumn Bettinger to Writing in Progress!Our Interview with Autumn begins at 23:22 We reveal and discuss the prompts for NQW at 1:15:25 *Episode Sponsor!*This episode's sponsor is Camsyn Clair, who's been a valued supporter of WiP for quite some time. If you're participating in the Not Quite Write Prize (which if you're listening to this episode, it's very likely you are) you've probably seen their artwork, as Camsyn is the 2025 Not Quite Write Artist in Residence!You can find them on bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/beingcam.bsky.social / @beingcam.bsky.socialWe also want to mention that their art was recently published on the cover of the January issue of Small Wonders magazine, and you can find that artwork pinned to their bluesky profile, linked above. They occasionally have availability for limited illustration commissions between other projects--if people like their art style, feel free to reach out with inquiries!cam.synclair@gmail.comJoin our communityThe link to our Patreon is here! We'd love for you to join us as either a Good Samaritan ($1 per month) WiPpersnapper ($5 a month) or Episode Sponser ($20 for the month)

Trey has moved on to the world of professional judging, so we're bringing Charlie out of the bull pen to join us as we reveal and react to our prompts for the first ever Writing Battle Heart Competition! Listen along for a little strategy and advice... and a lot of laughs and fun conversation.*Episode Sponsor*This episode is brought to you thanks to episode sponsor Ryan Fleming. You can follow Ryan on instagram at Ryan.david.fleming. The message Ryan selflessly wanted us to promote?"Don't stop working on your writing craft :)"So, know Ryan is cheering you on, and can't wait to see what you write next.Thank you again for supporting the podcast, Ryan!If you'd like to become a member of our Patreon community, you can join via this link.

Former Writer's Playground winner Ryan Fleming joins WiP for the fourth time, and tonight we're discussing the 10th challenge with is officially underway!We start the conversation by diving into some data Ryan has collected from past winning stories, then we live-react to this round of prompts! We close things out by tipping our hand ever-so-slight in how we're planning to move forward.We hope you join us, whether it's this comp or the next!Writer's Playground WebsiteOur Patreon

Friends of the pod--Maggie and Charlie--rejoin Justin and Jon for a live outline. This is a good one, folks. Great way to end 2024!We start from scratch: a giant spreadsheet of prompts and a random number generator. About an hour and a half later, we'd outlined a very interesting story! We hope you enjoy the journey with us, and maybe learn a few things about how experts like Maggie and Charlie approach idea generation and story development.Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/WritinginProgressPodcastEmail: writinginprogresspod@gmail.comInstagram: writinginprogresspod

Good friend of the pod, Trey Dowell, drops by to discuss his recent Writing Battle win and transition to professional judge.Topics include:-Behind-the-scenes hilarity of how Trey found out he won-Trey realizes a theme common in many of his recent/best stories-A super-secret insider tip (/maybe bug?) Justin discovered during submission this round.-Trey gives insight into his transition to professional judge and what he'll be looking for when judging the upcoming Heart competition in Writing Battle!*Also* Jon and I have set a date for the Not Quite Write Prize entry drawing! We will randomly choosing our winners on the evening of Wednesday December 18th. You must have joined one of our paid subscriptions before that time if you'd like to be entered.Good Samaritans receive one entry. WiPpersnappers receive five. Episode Sponsors receive twenty. The drawing pool is currently at 30 entries for two tickets. Each member can only win one ticket, so your odds are still very good!The winners will be announced during this month's bonus episode on the Patreon. **Note: Bonus episodes will usually only be available to WiPpersnappers and Episode Sponsors, but we're going to make the first episode (and drawing results) available to Good Samaritans as well.The link to join our Patreon is here. 

Justin and Jon reunite for the first time in a few months, and do a little catching up. The episode begins with some exciting news about our new Patreon community and collaboration with Not Quite Write, a writing podcast from Australia.Link to the Patreon (ie. how you enter the giveaway)Link to Jon's published essay, "Grandma Ward"Link to Justin's published story and interview in MockingOwl RoostLink to Justin's new web page (still a bit of a work in progress)

After a few months away, why not just casually drop our longest episode ever with our highest profile guest just before midnight on a random Thursday?Shelby likely doesn't need any introduction from us. Her debut novel, Remarkably Bright Creatures (Yes, the octopus book that everyone you know who's read it seems to love) has sold over 2 million copies, has been on the New York Times Best Seller list multiple times, was a "Reads with Jenna" pick on the Today Show, and was awarded the 2023 McLaughlin-Esstman-Stearns First Novel Prize by the Writer's Center.Shelby was so kind to join us for a *long* and *late* evening back in August. She answered every question with care, great insight, vulnerability, and humility. This was such a great experience for us and we can't wait to share her insight with you, our listeners. We talked a lot about RBC, both the backstory and questions about the piece itself. We talk about Shelby's process, and how her writing-life has changed since the book found so much success. We also asked several questions submitted by members of the Writing Battle forum, and it was great to hear her answers!*Note from Justin: "Why the delay?"The main reason... life has been busy. I took a lot of care with this audio file, and to be fully transparent it required a little more work than our typical interview. So the editing process took several hours, and I frankly haven't had several hours to sit in my basement and work uninterrupted until my life finally settled down just a bit in November. I apologize to those who have been waiting on it patiently!

Jon and Justin speak with THE original recipient of the Writing Battle Debrief Panda--and author of Butcher the Doll--Charlie Rogers.Topics include:-marathon-writing sessions-how to plan for efficient drafting-using writing competitions to grow larger works-screenwriting advice-the importance of giving back to others in the writing communityYou can find the link to Charlie's Website here. (You can purchase Butcher the Doll from this site.)

It's our favorite Writing Battle Tradition!2 time chamion, Maggie Schreier, and reigning co-MVW, Trey Dowell, join Justin & Jon to talk this season's Writing Battle.This episode was recorded live on the night it all started, with each author's genuine reaction to the genres and prompts they received. (Nothing identifiable was shared, of course!)If you feel like you need *more* Writing Battle in your life between these nano-duels, you've come to the right place!

Justin and Jon welcome one new and one familiar guest to the program. What do they each have in common? They've both won Writer's Playground in the past! Holly Grover Brandon placed first overall in the most recent, eighth, Writer's Playground Challenge. Ryan Fleming was the overall champion back in the fourth Writer's Playground Challenge.We couldn't ask for better guests to discuss the potential prompt combinations for the ninth Writer's Playground Challenge, which is officially underway!The episode begins with an update from Justin and Jon, as is customary. If you'd like to skip directly to the interview, it begins at the 24:00 mark.

"I didn't want to just stay in one lane. I had lots of lanes that I loved."To say Rachael wears a lot of hats is a massive understatement. She's written (and illustrated!) her own children's book, a series of writers' prompts books, a comedic short story collection, an urban romance novella, and--most recently--a sci-fi western thriller, "Race to Novus". Oh, she also started her own small press, "Page Turn Press", which has recently released its first multi-author anthology, which Rachael edited, "Spread: Tales of Deadly Flora".This interview was a ton of fun and we learned a lot from Rachael in our short talk. The interview begins 19:10 into the episode.Show notes:The link to Rachael's website is here.The link to "The Four Types of Writers" Youtube video is here.A link to Page Turn Press' website is here.Errors:-In the intro, Justin miss-spoke and mistakenly said Rachael uses her full name for her books for adults and her pseudonym R.A. Clarke for her books written for children. It is actually the opposite. It's Rachael Clarke for her children's books and R.A. Clarke for her adult work.-At one point in the interview, Justin asks Rachael about her press and calls it "Page Turner Press", which is a different press entirely with several negative reviews. Rachael's press is called "Page Turn Press"

It's Writing Battle season! We've got the spring micro competition on deck--2 days to write 500 words!Justin and Jon are joined again by two friends of the pod: two-time winner Maggie Schreier and 2023 MVW Trey Dowell!We had so much fun analyzing the genres and revealing (what we could) about our prompts together.We hope you have half as much fun as we did, listening along. :)

We give our reactions, impressions, thoughts, and opinions as we noodle with the 5 possible characters, 5 potential settings, and 1 mandatory object prompted in Writer's Playground's eighth playground challenge.We are joined by a friend of the pod, Ryan Fleming, who happens to be a former winner of the contest. His interview begins around the 22 minute mark, and the prompt discussion takes off about half an hour into the episode.Thanks for listening and please feel encouraged to reach out and connect with us!Email: Writinginprogresspod@gmail.com 

Maggie has dozens of publishing credits to her name, is a Push Cart Nominee,  has won Writer's Workout Writer's Games (twice), the YeahWrite Super Challenge, TL;DR's Wordherd, Iron Faerie Publishing's Betwixt Contest, and Writing Battle (twice!). She's also placed top 10 in both Writer's Playground and NYC Midnight.She also happens to be one of the most encouraging human beings in the whole prompted-writing-competition community!She joins us today to talk about her writing and promote her new short story collection... and oh by the way... she hasn't revealed the title of said collection... UNTIL NOW! Listen to our interview to hear the announcement.We start introducing Maggie around the 8 minute mark, and the interview begins at about 15 minutes. She chatted with us for nearly an hour and a half! Topics include: -writing competitions--world building on a tight word count-self publishing, and the work that goes along with it-imposter syndrome-new years resolutions / goal setting-compiling a collection-how to approach prompts so that your story will stand out-discovering your passion for writing later in life-balancing a busy writing schedule-how being a "yes" person and a voracious reader has led to her vast (and sometimes obscure) knowledge-base-reworking/selling a piece after competitionIf you'd like to learn more about Maggie, please visit her website, here: https://mmschreier.com/If you'd like to connect with the podcast, we're currently checking email (writinginprogresspod@gmail.com) and instagram (WritingInProgressPod) the most frequently.

Justin and Jon give their initial reactions for this season's Writing Battle genres and live-react to their own draws.Just under 40 minutes into the episode, Friend-of-the-Pod Trey Dowell stops by to give his thoughts and joins in on the fun.Jon pushes his luck... can he defy the odds again??Listen to find out! :)

Justin and Jon continue their long-running series exploring how to write specific elements of a story. Today, they discuss the element they both ranked as the most important: characters. In this 2+ hour episode, Justin and Jon consulted the Writing Battle forums to ask for advice on how to capture the magic of an engaging character.

It's been a minute, but Justin and Jon are back and ready to talk about writing.Because we've been gone for a while, we decided to pack quite a bit into this episode--resulting in our longest ever: over 2 hours!Below are time-stamps, in case you're here from Writing Battle and would like to skip through Justin & Jon rambling about their personal lives.0:00 - Intro2:32 - Jon's check-in and humorous Christmas card9:12 - Justin's check-in35:15 - Writing Battle Short Story 2023 talk.1:00:45 - Justin & Jon interview each other1:55:15 - Wipper Snapper community shout-out2:00:15 - Wrapping things up

Justin and Jon are battling again! This episode was recorded live as they discovered their genres and prompts. (The character and word prompts they are sticking with are not shared, of course.)

Justin and Jon are thrilled to welcome Trey Dowell to Writing in Progress on the heels of teaching at the Santa Barbara Writers Conference. Trey's list of accomplishments are extremely impressive:-Traditionally published novel (The Protectors) through Simon and Schuster (Stephen King's publisher)-Former NYC Midnight overall flash fiction winner. The very next NYCM competition, Trey finished second overall in short story. In total, Trey has made six NYCM finals, winning a cash prize in three.-Derringer Award winner and four-time finalist. -Writer's Digest Popular Fiction Award finalist.-Writing Battle runner-up for alternate history flash fictionSubjects include Trey's writing process, specifically how he approaches NYC Midnight. We compare NYCM and Writing Battle. Trey also gives us interesting insight into his experience being traditionally published through Simon and Schuster and important lessons he learned for his next attempt at writing a novel. We also briefly touch on writing conferences and how important they can be.I think the biggest takeaways from this episode:Luck is a big part of it. Celebrate the wins. Keep writing.The interview with Trey begins at 16:00, after check-ins with Justin and Jon.Here are the pod's social handles:Email: writinginprogresspod@gmail.comInstagram: WritingInProgressPodTwitter: @WritingInPod (mind the filters!)Facebook: Writing In ProgressTikTok: Writing_in_progress_podYoutube: WritingInProgressPodcast

In the midst of (writers) battling, Justin and Jon press pause to discuss the competition. This episode includes:7:30 - End of school year check-ins16:30 - Looking back at Writer's Playground31:30 - Initial impressions of this season's Writing Battle1:05:00 - Responding to some WIPper-snappers' questions and comments.As always, we love to hear from YOU! You can reach out on our socials, listed below:Gmail - WritingInProgressPod@gmail.comInstagram - @WritingInProgressPodTwitter - @WritingInPod (mind the filters!)Facebook - Writing In ProgressYoutube - Writing In Progress PodcastTikTok - Writing_in_progress_pod

Justin and Jon are taking on a new contest: Writer's Playground, and who better to learn from than a previous winner? Ryan Fleming joins the pod to discuss his writing journey and experience winning Writer's Playground with his Poe-esque story "The Tragedy of Montague Bellot"In Writer's Playground, you are assigned an object, and must choose from five possible settings and five possible characters. We discuss all eleven (and several possible combinations) giving our initial impressions and reactions. We had a lot of fun!2:00 - Check-ins with Justin & Jon13:36 - Interview with Ryan begins29:00 - Conversation shifts to this season's Writer's Playground prompts1:02:45 - Closing remarks with Justin and JonYou can find the results of the Anniversary Challenge of Writer's Playground (which includes a link to Ryan's winning story) here: https://www.writersplaygroundllc.com/anniversary-challengeYou can connect with Ryan on Instagram  @Ryan.David.FlemingYou can connect with Writing In Progress on the following platforms:Email: Writing.in.progress.pod@gmail.comInstagram: @WritingInPorgressPodTwitter: @WritingInPod (mind the filters... Elon doesn't like us)Facebook: Writing In ProgressTik Tok: @Writing_in_progress_podYoutube: WritingInProgressPodcast

Justin and Jon discuss writing voice. What is it? How do you craft it? Is it something inherent or different for each individual story? Listen along and join our debate!Time stamps:0:00 - Wrapping up Writing Battle4:23 - Voice Introduction6:02 - Updates from us22:25 - Voice discussion/debate1:03:00 - Wipper Snapper spotlightsReach out!Email - WritingInProgressPod@gmail.comInstagram - @WritingInProgressPodTwitter - @WritingInPodFacebook - Writing In Progress

Justin and Jon give some shout-outs to stories they loved in the debrief forums of Writing Battle.Connect with us! (Join the WIPper Snappers!)Email: WritingInProgressPod@gmail.comInstagram: @WritingInProgressPodTwitter: @WritingInPodFacebook: Writing In ProgressTime Stamps:0:00 - A new chapter for Writing In Progress8:40 - Check-ins19:50 - Reflecting on our personal Writing Battle experiences34:55 - WIPpy Awards!1:12:00 - WIPper Snapper Community Comments**Spoilers for WIPpy Awards**....................................................................................................Justin:Hook: Hivemind - Corrie HaldaneSetting: The Garden of Life and Death - Alexandra OttoEnding: A Sacrifice - Charlie Rogers Plot: Enough - Rose CamaraHumor: The trouble maker - the  rullaway kidVoice: White Blanket - Anne WilkinsTheme: Adventure is just another word for… - Trey DowellCharacters: Even if it's God - Allison SchillerMeet Cute: Novel Finding on Rhodius Creare - Camsyn ClairWinter Survival: Four Squared - T.E. BradfordOccult: Momentum - EJ SidleLost World: Water is Life - MM SchreierJon:Hook: The Hidden Rules of Ownership - Melissa JorndSetting: A Dashing of Longing and a Helping of Heart - Melanie MulrooneyEnding: To Tell the Sooth - Chad FramePlot: The Anarchist's Guide to Writing Romcom - AP GreenlawHumor: The Last Two Fingers - Jenna K.Voice: Where the Wild Golf Balls Lie - Oneg K.Theme: A Toymaker's Job Never Ends - Ariana HagerCharacters: Alive in the Wild - Nicole RothMeet Cute: Violet in the Weeds - Hillary KillamWinter Survival: Lovebirds, Interrupted - Shannon FujimuraOccult: Becky with the Good Hair - Pajamas All DayLost World: Adventure is Just Another Word For...  - Trey Dowel

This episode was recorded 1 month ago when Justin and Jon learned their prompts for the WritingBattle.com winter flash fiction contest! We are now able to post it, since peer judging has completed! Jon opted not to judge, so Justin was able to share all of his prompts on this episode. Justin was a judge, so Jon could only reveal his genre, to avoid a conflict of interest for Justin.*We did run into a few technical difficulties on this live recording... so Jon will sound a little quieter than normal, and the ending cuts out about 5-10 seconds short. We're a work in progress :)Also! We've gained a lot of new listeners lately! We want to connect with you!Instagram: @writinginprogresspodTwitter: @writinginpodFacebook: Writing in ProgressGmail: WritingInProgressPod@gmail.comJoin our community of WIPper-snappers! :)We'll be following up with more WritingBattle content very soon! We're really excited to present the first ever WIPpys! :)

Justin and Jon update their progress so far in the new year, including a competition win and a huge pivot in publishing strategy. Our hosts then talk about their resolutions and goals for 2023.

First half of the episode: Our hosts give some updates on whats been happening since August. Topics include:-Books they've suggested/read-Shows they watched (big Andor fans!)-Justin's competition results-Jon's querying journey-Friend of the podcast landed an agent!Second half of the episode: A few live-readings-First, Justin shares one of his first short stories, originally drafted back in 2020, called "The Man Who Knew Everything"-Jon then reads one of his essays from "Carseat Conversations" called "A Note to the Babysitter"-Finally, Justin reads a very raw first draft of a new intro to one of his competition short stories, "Live Bait"Justin and Jon discuss their reactions to each of these pieces, and even do a little workshopping together on the last one.

Justin and Jon reflect on their summers and get a little vulnerable about where they're at in their journeys to become authors.Afterward, the pair live outline a story from randomly generated prompts.

Justin and Jon share a conversation with Marla Taviano, centering around her most recent work, "unbelieve: poems on the journey to becoming a heretic"This is the longest podcast episode we've ever recorded, and the conversation went in a lot of different directions. (All of which we really enjoyed!) Some of those topics include:-Being vulnerable in your writing-The importance (and challenge) of building a platform-Self publishing vs. traditional publishing-How moving forward imperfectly is infinitely better than staying put, waiting for perfection-How Marla's life and views have changed, and how that has affected her writing journey-Xanga Journals and Myspace

Justin and Jon discuss how to write effective humor. What makes something funny? Jon, who has published humorous essays and signed with an agent for his collection "Carseat Conversations" gives tips for writing humor. Justin, who has written humorous short stories for competition, shares industry-professional judges' feedback. Both aspiring authors read work samples in this episode.

Justin and Jon undertake another prompted live outline. The prompts this time:Genre: ThrillerCharacter: A pilotAction: Outrunning the PoliceLocation: A hospitalObject: A Pill

Justin and Jon continue with their "How to" series regarding elements of a story. Next up: Plot. Listen in to hear how these two aspiring authors approach, strategies, and perfect their plots.

Randy Spears, an author who has self published 17 books which have combined for nearly $20,000 in sales, joins us on this episode of Writing in Progress.Topics include:Marketing StrategiesSelf publishing vs Small PressThe logistics of publishing to AmazonDesigning Book CoversHow important are revisions?

Justin and Jon plan a story live from some randomly drawn prompts:Genre: A mysterySubject: Idiot-proofCharacter: A mountain climberLocation: A focus groupListen along as they brainstorm ideas and tie them together in creative ways.  We spent a lot of time talking about the hook, plot point, characters, and ending.  How do you make a satisfying twist, which is so important to the genre.  We hope you join us as we try to find out!

After almost 11 months away, Justin and Jon return to Writing in Progress and give updates on what's been happening in their writing journey.A few of the topics discussed:-The long path to publishing-Dealing with rejection-Celebrating accomplishments-Pivoting from "The Plan"-Writing competitions-Recruiting Beta Readers-A fork in the road: submitting smaller pieces to publications or self-publishing a collection? 

Have you always wanted to write a story, but don’t know where to begin? Maybe you like to write, but the creative process of generating ideas is a sticking point for you? I am often asked, “How do you come up with such interesting concepts for all of your stories?”It’s not easy to articulate how the seed of an idea grows into a fully fledged story, so Jon and I thought we’d show you in this episode of Writing in Progress.Wise authors know that a story is only as good as its outline. In episode 13, we are given an open-ended prompt, and--completely live and unscripted--develop that prompt into a fully fledged outline for a short story called “Imposter”.We had a lot of fun recording this episode, and we’d love for you to give it a listen. We learned some things about ourselves as writers through this process, and we think you can too!

Don't you love it when a book nails the ending? Do you want to write stories that leave your readers with goosebumps as they finish the final line?Justin and Jon discuss their best practices when crafting endings to their stories.

Justin and Jon explain their approach to writing an interesting setting to a story.Learn how to paint a clear picture for your readers, without falling into the dreaded "info dump" trap.

Justin and Jon discuss the first of 8 story elements outlined in a previous episode. Fittingly, they begin with some tips about how to write an effective hook.

Jon shares a Christmas-themed essay he had published about a decade ago, which helped him find his writing voice. After sharing, he and Justin discuss topics such as genre, title, voice, and development.

Before this episode, Justin and Jon each independently ranked the importance of the following 8 elements of storytelling: Characters, Ending, Hook, Humor, Plot, Setting, Theme, & Voice/Style. In this episode, the pair of aspiring authors reveal their rankings to one another and debate/defend their reasoning. What do you think? We'd love to hear from you in the comments!

Justin and Jon explore what creativity is, and discuss ways in which they go about achieving it in their own writing.

Justin and Jon update you on what's been going on, what's to come, and talk about how life during covid has affected them as creatives.

In this week’s episode of Writing in Progress, Justin and Jon welcome their first guest to the podcast, Indie published author Rick Thorpe. Discussion topics include: Rick’s writing process, how he blended poetry and photography into a novelized plot structure, the financial side of publishing a book, his experience working with an indie publisher, and what he’s learned before writing/publishing his second book.The conversation was both fun and insightful--with lots of laughter!If you’re interested in purchasing Rick’s book, “East of Anywhere” you can use either of the links below:Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/East-Anywhere-Unlikely-Poets-Journey/dp/1684332559/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=East+of+Anywhere&qid=1593526317&sr=8-1Black Rose Writing:https://www.blackrosewriting.com/literary/eastofanywhereYou can find Rick on facebook at either his personal (Rick Thorpe) or book (East of Anywhere) pages. Rick is also available to speak at book clubs, libraries, or book stores. You can contact him at rick_thorpe@hboe.org or (614) 580-9756As always, you can connect with our two hosts, Justin Creps & Jon Woolley, at the following locations:Justin:Instagram: @J_M_CrepsYoutube: Justin CrepsEmail: Justin.Creps@gmail.comJon:Facebook: Carseat ConversationInstagram: Carseat ConversationsWebsite: www.jonwoolleyauthor.com

Justin and Jon explain what methods they use to stay consistent in their writingYou can connect with Jon at Carseat Conversations on Facebook or Instagram, or on his website, jonwoolleyauthor.comTo find Justin, check out J_M_Creps on instagram, or search Justin Creps on Youtube

Justin and Jon break down eight helpful tools they have used to become better writers.You can find Jon's work at "Carseat Conversations" on Facebook or Instagram, as well as on the web at jonwoolleyauthor.comYou can find Justin at "J_M_Creps" on instagram, or on his youtube channel: Justin Creps

Justin and Jon discuss important lessons they've learned in their writing journeyJon Woolley can be found on instagram and facebook under "Carseat Conversations" as well as on the web at jonwoolleyauthour.comJustin Creps can be found on instagram at J_M_Creps as well as on youtube as "Justin Creps"

Two teachers begin their journey as podcasters, and explain why this new series has value for YOU!Jon Woolley can be followed through "Carseat Conversation" on Facebook or Instagram, as well as on jonwoolleyauthor.comJustin Creps can be followed through "J_M_Creps" on Instagram or "Justin Creps" on Youtube